Testimonials / Review

Testimonials

I was looking for an alternative approach to surgery that had been recommended by two out of three top orthopedic surgeons in NYC for my daughter. I found an amazing yoga instructor who met with her once a week for about an hour to an hour and a half. My daughter was very good about doing the routine that they worked out about four to five times a week. She was just x-rayed last week and now she would not be considered a candidate for surgery. I would like to thank you for your encouragement to pursue this avenue of treatment!

Blossom F.

I have scoliosis and, after reading your article last May, decided I would try yoga. I cannot even explain how it has helped me. I, along with my family, see a miraculous difference. My rib cage is not so protruding as it was and my posture has so improved. I am so happy with Yoga, and practice at home and also at a studio. It has changed my life physically and spiritually. I refer to my Mat as my magic carpet. It has become to me now a way of life.

Pat L.

For most of my life, I believed that yoga was not for me because I have scoliosis. Each time I attended a class in which students were instructed to move one vertebra at a time or to align the spine, I felt excluded and somehow defective. I have an S-curve 0f 35 degrees at the top and bottom of my spine. Thank you for opening new doors of possibility for me.

Susan G.

I purchased your video and booklet for my mother as a Christmas present and she absolutely loves it! She has a pretty severe scoliosis, which has never been treated, and regular use of your products has brought her a depth of pain relief that nothing in the past has given her. I was wondering if you have any other yoga videos available or in the works? She uses the scoliosis video nearly every day and I’ve loaned her yoga videos from other instructors, but she really likes your instruction best. She trusts you and feels like your program is safe for her.

Annette B.

I’m writing just to tell you my daughter follow Yoga for Scoliosis program under supervision of an orthopedist and kinesiology. She does Iyengar modify asanas similar to your video. After 6 months of regular practice, her curvature decreased from 41 degree to 30 degree. I remind you we live in Chile, very far away from your classes.

Thanks for your advice and mail.

Pedro Paiva

My Experience with the Video

A diagnosis of scoliosis does not have to equate with a life sentence of pain. I went through many years of searching for something to relieve chronic neck and back pain related to scoliosis. Happily, I discovered the benefits of yoga, twelve years ago, when I stumbled upon an article written by Elise Browning Miller in Yoga Journal. Serendipitously, I lived in the same area where Miller teaches. I was able to take her scoliosis workshop and classes and, with practice, I learned to minimize my discomfort and accept my body the way it is. Now, Miller has turned her pioneering “Yoga For Scoliosis” workshop into a beautifully and professionally filmed program that can bring her expertise and relief to people with scoliosis, as well as other back pain sufferers, all over the world.

Miller, who has a 49 degree curve, herself, begins her video with a sequence of yoga poses filmed on a bluff along the Northern California Coast. The voice-over, during this sequence, movingly tells Miller’s personal story of triumph. Following this introduction, Miller leads three of her students, each with a different type and degree of scoliosis, through a three part yoga practice for beginners. Part one is devoted to quieting the mind, focusing on breathing and stretching the spine. The second part includes centering and strengthening poses. The final part ends the session with restorative, releasing and relaxing poses.

The video is well paced. Throughout each part, Miller carefully and soothingly narrates, providing instruction for adjusting poses to maximize the benefits for various types of curves. She emphasizes the importance of becoming aware of your own body’s structure and restrictions, and she illustrates how you can make accommodations for these restrictions by using various “props” such as bolsters, blankets, blocks, straps and chairs. Several bonus sections are available on the DVD version. These include an interview with an orthopedic surgeon who explains why he supports the use of an alternative therapy, such as yoga, in the treatment of scoliosis. A half dozen additional or modified poses are another bonus. Finally, an interview with Miller provides you with a glimpse into her motivation for producing this film. She sums up by saying, “The main thing is to decrease the pain, feel good about yourself, feel confident, and know you can do something about your scoliosis.” Speaking from my own experience, I can assure you that, with a little practice and patience, all of these outcomes are within your reach.

Jeanie Schwab